With plenty of easy-breezy materials, warm, neutral color palettes, and homey patterns, Serena and Lily’s homeware collections are always effortlessly timeless, and look like they've been plucked straight out of a Diane Keaton film set in the Hamptons. And while they're best known for their take on the beachy, modern coastal aesthetic, their recent 'Holiday House' takeover proves that signature style can be perfect in any season.
To celebrate the season, they've partnered with six interior design firms, who've each taken over one of their stores and styled it with their own unique Christmas decorating ideas. Drawing inspiration from their heritage, upbringings, and travels abroad, each designer brought their own distinct spin on seasonal decor, and all while using Serena and Lily’s pieces, of course.
From Atlanta to Palo Alto, there is plenty of inspiration to be found across the storefronts, even if you think your aesthetic leans more contemporary than coastal. We’ve gone through and picked out the trends we noticed popping up across the designs, and shared how you can recreate the look at home.
1. Pattern Drenching
Pattern drenching follows the design philosophy of 'more is more'. Instead of limiting a print or pattern to just your wallpaper, create more unity and harmony in a room by adding pops of the same pattern across your furniture and accessories.
In the Birmingham Design Store, Detroit-based design firm Sissy Yellen Living have gone for gingham this Christmas. Here, the walls, stools, sofas and even the stockings all sport a cream and brown checked gingham print. To keep the look from becoming overwhelming or claustrophobic, Sissy has paired the print with pale blue and cream accents, maintaining a light and homely space.
When asked about her favorite part of the design process, she revealed that she loved "Pushing the limit with the pattern play. That is usually the hardest sell, but one that my clients never regret. I always say that there's no reward without a little bit of risk." And after looking at her final project, I think we can all agree with her on that.
But, Sissy Yellen was not the only one to embrace gingham this year. Over in Atlanta, Heather Dewberry and William C. Huff Jr of Huff-Dewberry used a wide, pale blue-checked gingham print to create their signature Southern charm. Floor-to-ceiling curtains are accessorized by a matching chaise-lounge and decorative cushions for an inviting and homey bedroom. They adopted a similar approach in the living-room setup, where the delicate Lily of the Valley print is used both as a material for the furniture, and as wallpaper. Heather notes that "Wallpaper gives character if you don’t have architecture details. It’s enveloping. It’s transporting."
Proving that florals can be in bloom well beyond spring, M+M Interior Design have decked out the Winnetka store in the subtly festive Hawthorne print. Soft blues and mauves combine to make a comforting space that invites all the excitement of the festive period. Sisters Leslie Martin and Kim Meardon explain "It all started with the canopy bed. It’s this great, luxurious piece that’s covered in all this beautiful fabric. It’s going to feel like a cozy little cocoon. It goes back to my own traditions of snuggling in bed with my sisters in our Christmas pajamas and waiting for Santa to visit."
Shop Pattern Drenching Decor
2. Fringe Detailing
2024 saw the resurgence of the fringe furniture trend — across the runways, on the streets, and finally, in our living rooms. So, it is unsurprising that it made an appearance in several of Serena and Lily's stores this Christmas. The boho, '70s style fringing is very much in line with the California beach look celebrated by Serena and Lily, though when applied in these festive settings it takes on a more sophisticated, yet playful feel.
In their Palo Alto store, Kari McIntosh Design used the space as her "love letter to Scotland," celebrating Caledonian maximalism with rich textures, plenty of patterns, and lots of fringe. "The more nostalgic and sentimental you are, the more you trend toward maximalism," Kari explains. "I have friends who are minimalist designers and as beautiful as their places are, I couldn’t live like that. It’s exactly what they need to quiet their minds. What makes you happy at home in this chaotic world? For some people, it’s the absence of things and for some people, it’s surrounding themselves with all the things they love and that’s the story of their life. I’m more of that type."
If you also tend to lean towards the more-is-more approach, fringe detailing can be a great way to add a little extra design intrigue into your home. The movement and texture offered by fringing adds life into a room, bringing a fun, tactile feel. Here, fringing is added to both the sofas and the cushions.
In their Dallas Design Shop, Javier Burkle builds texture and movement by adding a fringe trim to the deep, navy sofa. Though we particularly love the fringed gingham stools in the Birmingham location. When combined with the brown and cream checked print, the fringe brings an element of surprise and intrigue that breaks up the pattern.
Shop Fringe Decor
3. Raffia and Rattan
A style staple of Serena and Lily no matter the season, there is plenty of rattan and raffia accents to be found in their 'Holiday House'. Proving that these textures belong far beyond the summer beach house aesthetic, each designer seamlessly wove these boho elements into their festive designs. This is one of the easiest trends to incorporate into your own home, as they are most often found in smaller accessories and design details, meaning you don't have to spend $5000 to get the look.
We love how Sissy Yellen incorporated rattan details amongst her gingham theme to achieve a more pared back, casual feel to the room. While the rattan Cascais Chandelier is an obvious statement-maker, the additional woven seagrass dining chairs and storage trunks work to create a greater sense of harmony in the design. These details work beautifully alongside the pale blue and brown color scheme used in this room, making for an earthy and cozy feel.
The woven texture of rattan items makes it a perfect material for lampshades, allowing the warm light to bleed through the natural gaps. Paired with a darker, warm color scheme like in the Roslyn Design Shop, the soft, dappled light is warm and inviting. Landed Interiors combine this with bamboo dining chairs, the wicker dog basket and adorable woven Christmas tree decorations for the ultimate boho, coastal-chic holiday home.
A small addition that can make a world of difference is the playful fringing of a raffia tassel. Combined with a complementary colored bow and attached to a wall lamp in Javier Burkles design, we love how this fun accessory adds a surprising festive spirit to a room. Far less obvious and overdone than tinsel, raffia adds a sense of movement and texture that elevates any room. A particularly inventive move that we’ll be sure to copy, Javier ties the tassels into the Christmas tree to accompany the baubles and lights. We were equally excited to see them draped over the back of the chairs in the Palo Alto store.
